The best Spurs lineups for next season

Analyzing the best player combinations San Antonio can trot out.

The San Antonio Spurs played 533 different lineup combinations on its road to a 22-60 record last season. Obviously, not all of them worked. Yet even in the madness of another losing season, the Spurs found some competitive lineups.

San Antonio had a +20.8 net and 96.6 defensive ratings When Victor Wembanyama was joined by Tre Jones, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson and Jeremy Sochan. That rates out as one of the best units in the NBA last season in terms of net rating. When the Spurs played its best five, there were signs of a competitive team. Those five players also happen to be key cogs in San Antonio’s young core.

The Spurs have added to that core this summer with two veterans, Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes, along with a top-5 pick in Stephon Castle. With those signings and San Antonio youngsters adding another year under their belts, expectations are high. But what combinations of Spurs will make for the best lineups? Let’s explore some lineups we will likely see play a lot in the 2024-25 NBA season.

The Starters:

Chris Paul – Devin Vassell – Harrison Barnes – Jeremy Sochan – Victor Wembanyama

This year there seems to be a clear starting five on opening night. Last season San Antonio had a starting lineup dilemma, as they needed to bench one of their young players. It started with Jones and ended with Johnson. With both players likely to accept bench roles, and starting wing Julian Champagnie better serving as a three-and-D wing in the second unit, there is room for the newly acquired vets to start.

This lineup finally provides some floor spacing around Wembanyama. Sochan and Wemby are the only players in the projected starting five that didn’t shoot above 37% from deep last season. Paul will be able to fill Jones’ role as a pick-and-roll playmaker in the half-court, allowing Sochan and Vassell to slot into off-ball roles. San Antonio can also use Vassell and Wembanyama as playmakers in the starting five, with Paul and Barnes providing a greater off-ball presence than last season.

Defensively Paul is a downgrade from Jones, and Sacramento Kings fans often expressed frustration with Barnes’s play on that end. Still, the veterans will give the Spurs some savvy positional defenders alongside one of the best defensive anchors in the NBA in Wembanyama. Vassell and Sochan’s improvement on defense will be what swings this from a good to a great defense.

Wemby + shooters:

Chris Paul – Devin Vassell – Julian Champagnie – Harrison Barnes – Victor Wembanyama

Last season teams frequently packed the paint against the Spurs in an attempt to cut off Wembanyama’s space around the hoop. San Antonio couldn’t punish defenses for this strategy, as they shot just 34.7% from deep. With the addition of Barnes and Paul, the Spurs can now put a lineup of consistent shooters around Wembanyama. This should open up the floor and give Wemby even more opportunities to score or make plays for others in the half-court.

The best thing about this lineup is they aren’t losing playmaking when Sochan goes to the bench. Wemby, CP3 and Vassell are all capable of initiating offense, with Barnes and Champagnie playing floor-spacing roles. There is ample opportunity for advantage creation with this lineup offensively.

Champagnie shot 36.5% from deep last season and made strides as a defender. If Sochan gets off to a slow start in his third season, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were calls for Champagnie to re-enter the starting five to provide floor spacing. This lineup could be the Spurs’ best run-and-gun lineup and will hold its own defensively.

The Buzzsaw:

Tre Jones – Stephon Castle – Julian Champagnie – Jeremy Sochan – Victor Wembanyama

Wembanyama’s defensive prowess has been well-documented. Last season the Spurs had a few players who made improvements on that end as well. Sochan was tasked with guarding some of the league’s best individual scorers. Champagnie is a physical defender inside and out. Jones is a pest at the point of attack with one of the best steal rates on the team. Now they add another defensive piece in Castle to that core.

Castle was an awesome defender on and off the ball at UCONN last season. He has a high motor, a great frame and good defensive instincts. He brings a physicality and aggressiveness that this defense needs. He and Jones at the point of attack would be a nightmare for opposing guards. Even if they get past them, they have the potential defensive player of the year awaiting them in the paint. The defensive potential of this lineup is enticing.

There would be some floor-spacing kinks to work out. Jones shot the ball much better from deep last year (42.1% from three after the All-Star break) but you can’t rely on him as a floor spacer. Castle’s jump shot seemingly needs some work, and Spurs fans are well aware of Sochan’s struggles from deep. This lineup will likely need to pitch shutouts to be truly effective.

Bench mob:

Tre Jones – Stephon Castle – Julian Champagnie – Keldon Johnson – Zach Collins

San Antonio has some sneaky depth this year. They move two starters to the bench in Champagnie and Jones, keep Johnson in his sixth-man role, and add a top-5 pick in Castle. If Collins has a bounce-back season, there should be some real weapons in this second unit.

I’m most interested in Johnson’s role this season. He’s become somewhat of an overlooked component of the roster, yet he was the team’s third-leading scorer last season, and only a year removed from leading the team in points per game. Last season he relied a bit too much on his jumper instead of getting to the basket. With another floor spacer like Champagnie joining the bench, maybe there will be more reps for Johnson to come off screens or zoom action to get downhill. Getting back to his “Mustang” ways would help San Antonio’s bench scoring.

Castle gets the SGA treatment:

Chris Paul – Stephon Castle – Devin Vassell – Harrison Barnes – Victor Wembanyama

One of CP3’s best late-career seasons came in his one-year stint with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Many credit his tutelage of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as a big reason the OKC guard has become a superstar. Could Paul manage a similar feat with the Spurs’ new big guard?

It would be great to see Castle and Paul share the floor a bit. Not only will it be a good experience for the rookie, but it’s a seamless basketball fit. Castle spent a lot of time with another ball-handler at UCONN, where he could spend more time cutting and screening offensively. Paul has played in a lot of two-guard lineups and understands how to space the floor next to another ball-handler. Castle can also take tough defensive assignments and disrupt opposing offenses at the point of attack. In this case, they are both flanked by three of the Spurs’ best offensive players.

Let’s get weird:

Chris Paul – Keldon Johnson – Sidy Cissoko – Sandro Mamukelashvili – Victor Wembanyama

This last lineup is just for fun. San Antonio has pushed the pace the last few years, finishing near the top of the league in pace of play. This group could play fast and with flair.

Paul is one of the best passing guards of all time. Sidy Cissoko and Sandro Mamukelashvili are young players who are good passers and can handle the ball on the open floor. Johnson and Wembanyama could operate as leaders of the offense. This group would lead the league in jaw-dropping dishes and fast break points.